Tool for inserting elastomer highway joint seals and the like



Aug. 17, 1965 D. D. BROWN 3,200,482

TOOL FOR INSERTING ELASTOMER HIGHWAY JOINT SEALS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTOR. N DELMONT D. BROWN BY mw a United States Patent 3,200,482 TOUL FOR INSERTING ELASTQMER HIGHWAY JGINT SEALS AND THE LIKE Belmont D. Brown, North Baltimore, Ohio, assignor to The D. S. Brown Company, North Baltimore, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,403 Claims. (Cl. 29-235) This invention, in general, relates to tools for inserting compressible strips into an elongated slot. The invention especially pertains to tools for inserting compressible, elastomer strips in concrete joints in highways, bridges, and the like.

In recent years, there has been developed elastomer strips which are inserted into expansion joints or other joints between concrete sections of highways, bridges and the like. These elastomer strips are inserted in a compressed state, and upon laterally outward expansion, their sides press tightly against the sides of the slot forming a part of the concrete joint and form a tight seal against the seepage of water, dirt and the like into the joint. The joints may extend either longitudinally along the highway, bridge, or the like, or transversely across the highway, bridge, or the like.

This invention relates to a rotary type tool for transversely compressing a compressible strip and inserting the strip in the compressed state into a slot, such as a highway joint. The inserted strip is released or discharged from the tool in the compressed state in the slot and expands transversely outwardly against the walls of the slot. This is achieved, in accordance with the practice of the invention, by the use of rotatable discs or plates mounted on the tool in converging relationship. The compressible strip is fed between the plates or discs at a point at or near that of greatest divergence or separation of the plates. The strip is gripped between the plates, and as it orbits with the rotating plates, it is gradually compressed by the converging relationship of the discs or plates. The most convergent area or zone between the rotatable plates or discs is located in the slot into which the strip is to be inserted. The strip is caused to be ejected or discharged from this Zone or area between the plates or discs, and the strip is thereby laid in the slot. When the strip in the compressed state is thus ejected or discharged, it expands outwardly against the opposite side walls of the slot to form a tight fitting seal for the slot, e.g., a highway or bridge joint.

It is, accordingly, a primary object of this invention to provide tools for inserting compressible strips into slots; :1 more specific object being to provide tools for inserting elastomer highway joint seals or bridge joint seals in highway or bridge joints. Still another object is to provide rotary tools for compressing and inserting elastomer strips in slots, such as highway and bridge joints.

The foregoing and numerous other important objects, advantages, and inherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the same is more fully understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view on section 11 of FIG. 2 of a tool constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on section 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the tool comprises a frame member 1, shown only in fragment. This frame member 1 is a bar on which may be mounted a handle or handles for manual propulsion of the tool or to which may be attached a mechanized propulsion unit for propelling the 2%,482 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 tool, e.g., a motorized drive propulsion unit of the type used on small hand tools, such as self-propelled garden tools, lawn tools, and the like.

The sides of the bar 1 may be tapered from top to bottom. Positioned on these sides of the bar 1 are oppositely-directed stub axles or spindles 2, 3, each of which has an axis which slopes downwardly at a small angle relative to the horizontal. A hub 4 and a hub 5, respectively, each of which may have a hollow, cylindrical bushing 6, are rotatably journalled on the stub axles or spindles 2, 3 and are freely rotatable thereon. These hubs 4, 5 are retained on the stub axles 2, 3 by means of retainer rings 7 fixedly held by pins 8 on the outer ends of the stub axles or spindles 2, 3.

The freely rotatable hubs 4-, 5 are fixedly attached, respectively, to rotatable plates or discs 9, it which rotate about the respective axes of the stub axles or spindles 2, 3. With the tool in its normal operating position, the plates or discs 9 converge in a downward direction from the Widest point at the upper portion of the plates or discs 9, 10 to the narrowest point at the lower part of the plates or discs.

The distance between the inner walls of the plates or discs 9, 1d at the upper portion thereof is preferably sufficient so that a compressible, e.g., elastomer, strip 11 can be fitted between the plates or discs 9, ltl in an uncompressed state of said strip.

The strip illustrated is a compressible and expandable elastomer made by extruding the elastomer into a lattice work of thin elastomer walls encapsulating longitudinallyextending air pockets. This elastomer structure is compressible and expandable due to the resilient nature of the elastomer. Other types of resilient strips may also be used with the tools of the invention.

The frame 1 may carry a rigid, upstanding bar 12 on the upper end of which is mounted a guide shoe or plate 13. This guide shoe or plate 13 guides the strip 11 as it is fed from a spool or other feed source (not shown) between the plates 9, 10.

As the strip 11 orbits with the rotating discs 9, 10, it is gradually transversely compressed between said converging plates to a compressed state designated as 11. In the fully compressed state, the strip is now ready for ejection or discharge from the discs 9, It This may be accomplished by providing a downwardly-extending, rigid bar 14 mounted on'the frame member or bar 1. The bar 14 carries a horizontally and rearWardly-extending ejector bar 15. The ejector bar 15 forces the strip 11 to be ejected rearwardly out of the plates or discs 9, 10 into the slot in which the strip is to be inserted as the tool moves forwardly. In order to reduce friction between the strip 11 and the ejector bar 15, the lower surface of the bar 15 may be provided with a plurality of transversely-extending circular grooves 16 defining arcuate walls greater than a semi-circle but less than a full circle. A cylindrical roller 17 may be mounted in each of the arcuate grooves 16. The rollers 17 are rotatable in the grooves 16 and are caused to roll by their contact with the upper side of the strip 11 as the tool moves forwardly. These rollers, therefore, form the pressure points for the ejector bar 15 and thus decrease the friction between the ejector mechanism and the strip 11. One of the rollers 17 has been omitted to illustrate the shape of the arcuate grooves 16 in FIG. 1.

The point of closest convergence of the plates or discs 9, 10 is located at or near the bottom portion of the tool. The distance between the outer edges of the plates or discs 9, 10 at the lower portion of the tool is slightly smaller than the width of the slot 18, in the illustrated case a joint between concrete sections of a highway, so that the plates 3, 9 can rotate in the slot 18 as the tool moves forwardly. When the strip 11 is ejected in the compressed state from the plates or discs 8, 9 by the ejector bar 15 and its associated roller 17, it expands transversely outwardly into contact with the sides of the slot 18, forming, in the illustrated case, an elastomer joint seal pressing tightly against the side walls of the slot 18 of the concrete joint.

The tool is conveniently supported on the upper surface of the concrete sections on opposite sides of the slot 18 by providing an upwardly-extending bar segment 19 at the rearward end of the ejector bar 15. The bar segment 19 has a pin 20 projecting from oppositesides thereof, on which pin is rotatably mounted a pair of rearwardly-directed arms 21, 22. Each of the arms 21, 22 has an ear 23 in which is mounted an axle 24 extend ing therebetween and projecting outwardly from the outer sides of the cars 23. The axle 24 serves as the axle for a pair of wheels 25, 26 which support the tool on the upper surfaces of the concrete sections on opposite sides of the joint 18.

The depth to which the rotatable plates or discs 9, and the ejector bar and its roller 17 enter the slot 18 as the tool moves forwardly can be adjusted by adjusting the height of the wheels 25, 26 relative to the frame members of the tool. Such adjustment may be achieved by providing on each of the arms 21, 22 an upwardlydirected bar segment 27 connected by a cross bar 28. At approximately the mid-point of the cross bar 23 a set screw 29 with a locking nut 39 is threaded in the cross bar 28. The end of the set screw 29 bears against the ear 31 of the bar segment 19 and limits pivotal movement of the arms 21, 22 on pin 20. The set screw can, accordingly, be used to adjust the heights of the wheels 25, 26 relative to the frame of the tool and thereby adjust the depth of insertion of the strip 11 in the joint or slot 18.

The foregoing embodiment exemplifies one means for the practice of the generic principles of the invention. Many other embodiments may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, it is also within the scope of the invention to forwardly propel the tool by a motor connected by chain, gear belt or other drive with the discs or plates 9, 10 or their hubs 4, 5. Hand cranks or the like may be similarly used. When the plates or discs 9, 10 are slowly rotated, and the strip 11 is wedged in the slot, e.g., the concrete joint, the tool will move slowly forwardly and compress and insert the strip 11 in the slot as it travels.

I claim:

1. A tool for inserting a compressible strip in an elongated slot comprising a horizontal, central frame bar, a pair of stub axles attached to and projecting outwardly from opposite sides of said frame bar, each at a downwardly sloping angle, a disc rotatably mounted on each stub axle, said discs being rotatable at opposite sides of said frame bar in spaced, converging relationship, a

downwardly extending bar rigidly supported on said frame bar between said discs and an ejector bar rigidly supported on the lower end of said support bar between said discs in the approximate zone of closest convergence of said discs, whereby a compressible strip may be carried between said discs as they rotate, compressed therebetween, and ejected in the compressed state from said discs by said ejector bar.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 3, an upwardly eaten ing support bar rigidly secured to said frame bar between said discs, and a strip-feed guide member rigidly supported on the upper end of said last-mentioned support bar between said discs in the zone of greatest divergence of said discs.

3. A tool for inserting a compressible strip in an elongated s'lot comprising a main frame bar, a pair of stub axles attached to and projecting outwardly from opposite sides of said frame bar, each at a downwardly sloping angle, a disc rotatably mounted on each stub axle, said discs being rotatable at opposite sides of said frame bar in spaced, converging relationship, and an ejector bar rigidly supported on said frame bar between said discs in the approximate zone of closest convergence of said discs, said ejector bar having a lower surface over which said strip passes as it is ejected from said discs, whereby a compressible strip may be carried between said discs as they rotate, compressed therebetween, and ejected in the compressed state from said discs by said ejector bar.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 3 wherein said ejector bar has mounted thereon means rotatably supporting a pair of spaced wheels.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 3 wherein said ejector bar has mounted thereon arm means pivotable about a horizontal axis, a horizontal axle mounted on said arm means, a pair of spaced, rotatable wheels mounted on said axle, and adjustable means coacting with said arm means and said ejector bar controlling the angular position of said arm means for positioning said wheels at the desired height relative to the lower portion of said rotatable discs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 807,407 12/05 Tynan et al 114-224 2,045,256 6/36 Voigt et al 114-224 X 2,761,199 9/56 Allen 29235 3,007,240 11/61 Heinrich 29235 FOREIGN PATENTS 88,425 6/58 Netherlands.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,200,482 August 17, 1965 Belmont D. Brown error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that t the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and the corrected below.

d Colamn 4, line 9, for the claim reference numeral "3" rea n Signed and sealed this 5th day of September 1967.

( AL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesfing Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A TOOL FOR INSERTING A COMPRESSIBLE STRIP IN AN ELONGATED SLOT COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL, CENTRAL FRAME BAR, A PAIR OF STUB AXLES ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME BAR, EACH AT A DOWNWARDLY SLOPING ANGLE, A DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON EACH STUB AXLE, SAID DISCS BEING ROTATABLE AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME BAR IN SPACED, CONVERGING RELATIONSHIP, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BAR RIGIDLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME BAR BETWEEN SAID DISCS AND AN EJECTOR BAR RIGIDLY SUPPORTED N THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTED BAR BETWEEN SAID DISCS IN THE APPROXIMATE ZONE OF CLOSET CONVERGENCE OF SAID DISCS, WHEREBY A COMPRESSIBLE STRIP MAY BE CARRIED BETWEEN SAID DISCS AS THEY ROTATE, COMPRESSED THEREBETWEEN, AND EJECTED IN THE COMPRESSED STATE FROM SAID DISCS BY SAID EJECTOR BAR. 